Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Rico's sponsorship with Rowdy makes it difficult for him to support the WoO sponsor. So what is the proper etiquie in this problem? It happens often and teams need to support their own sponsor first imo. Has there been major fluff ups in the past? If Nos has an agreement that EVERY driver gets the hat could Nos legally pull sponsorship?? I'm sure they wouldnt over a couple situations.

Even though I may not know you, I 
care what most of you think!

It used to happen a lot in Nascar victory lane ceremonies. Officials would put a Gatorade bottle on top of the car and a Power Aid backed driver would knock it off and send it flying. It was pretty funny. 

Seems like proper thing to do is when handed a conflicting sponsors product you set it down causally first chance you get. Move on and make sure the first sponsor you thank is YOUR sponsor. 

Then again there is no replacement for press so being a little dramatic brings good and bad press. We are talking about it here so it's working.

It's a good thing. That means big businesses are in the sport. 

Rico refusing the acknowledge NOS is a bad thing.  I know a lot of you don't like the Outlaws and what you perceive as corporations "ruining" your beloved sprint car world.  However, you're the same ones to complain about purses and attendance.  These sponsors put a lot of money out there and it helps generate a lot of revenue for teams that compete in these events.  I agree with IADIRT, take the hat, and casually put it down without causing a scene.  If I were NOS, Casey's, Budweiser, or whoever, there would be an agreement made before I put out company money to sponsor an event----------------If I want the winner of the race I am sponsoring to put on a hat in victory lane, every driver will be made aware that they will put on the hat in victory lane.  If not, the sponsorship will be pulled and the track can pay the driver themselves.  Period.  This isn't new.  If memory serves me, I believe either Jeff Burton had to put on an Interstate hat when he won in the Exide car or Bobby Labonte had to put on an Exide hat while driving the Interstate car.  I can't remember the details, but I seem to remember something along these lines.  I think something like that actually helps both companies as it brings it to the headlines when it happens. 

I get why Rico did it-----I just don't think it was the right thing to do. 

Not sprint car related but I remember a big controversy, or whatever ya wanna call it, when Fittipaldi won indy and took a drink of Orange juice before drinking the milk.  

We were just talking about that this weekend.  We wondered---why wouldn't Emerson just pretend to take a sip, pour the rest over himself, and grab his orange juice?  

I don't really know what the proper answer is to your question but I'm confused about a couple of things.  It was my understanding that the Knoxville nationals wasn't sanctioned by the WOO, which would make me think the WOO doesn't have any control over this event?  So why would the WOO have any say in this at all?  The second thing that confuses me is that Rico isn't a WOO driver is he?  So what I'm confused on is how can the WOO tell a driver that doesn't follow their series in a race that they're not in charge of what hat to wear?

Knoxville Raceway 2021 rules.....section 17.4....Only official track sponsor beverages are permitted in Victory Lane or are to be displayed during post-race or Victory Lane activities. No other beverages, including any beverage sponsors of inividual Entrants, are to be displayed during any post-race or Victory Lane activities.

On the Knoxville Youtube site there is no video of Friday victory lane. All other nights are there.

I tell it like I see it.

John Force is someone who knows how to do this correctly.  In all of his ramblings, I have heard him give love to a competing sponsor because he understands that even if companies compete in the marketplace, if they both sponsor motorsports then they're both helping the motorsports industry as a whole.  I can't say he does it every time, but it is an example to follow.

Signature here.

The Knoxville Nationals is a WoO sanctioned event. It doesn't operate quite like "normal" WoO events (as in Knoxville still has a bit of control over format, etc), but is a WoO event. 

The NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Caseys is not only a WoO sanctioned event, it is the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Caseys.  The NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Caseys, probably receives a lot of sponsorship dollars from whoever would choose to sponsor The NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Caseys.  I'm not exactly sure who the main 2 sponsors for The NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Caseys were, but I'm sure they did not appreciate Rico not acknowledging them when the won Hard Knox night at The NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Caseys.  

So, WoO aside, why wouldn't he feel an obligation to NOS?

Nights like that make me laugh when I think about a night at Huset's years ago. (and this is on a very, very different level than the WoO or Knoxville Nationals)

A local bar - The Pocket - put up bonus money for whoever would win the hobby stock feature. 

The race was won by Jim Ross - the owner of a local bar - Corner Pub. 

In victory lane, Ross was joined by the trophy queens - sponsored by a local bar - Borrowed Bucks Roadhouse. 

In the end, we all laughed about it.

As fans - we can be thankful there are so many great sponsors out there that we are seeing competing messages. The bottom line is these sponsors are supporting our sport - we should do what we can to support them. 

I think it is really important to support the sponsors.  These guys cant race without them.   I only wish that some of the big Company sponsors would give the little guys some space.  Don't think that Rowdy is going to out-market NOS or Monster.  They are too big.  Afterall it is just another energy drink.  Reminds me of what happened with Wicked ENErgy Gum.  was not event a drink, but NOS told would not allow them to be at the track for Outlaw shows, other than on the car.  So now they are sponsoring like bike racing or something else.  So sprint car racing lost a sponsor that it really could use.

That is great stuff!  

I like and respect Rico for many things, but he should have just put on the hat with no issues! NOS has really stepped up the plate and sponsored sprint car racing, the World of Outlaws, and about 5 or 6 drivers throughout the U.S. I undertand he is sponsored by another energy drink company, but that company is very small in comparison and plus if there were not a NOS sponsor there would be no big events and big purses. He could have worn his Rowdy hat another time, but after winning a race and for pictures Rico should have keep the NOS hat on.

Looking forward to the new Golden State King of the 
West series schedule! 

Winged sprintcars = the fastest and most exciting 
racecars on dirt! 

Just put both Hats on.